70 turn out to fight plan to outsource university hospital

Bill HoffmanWhether taking on developers hell-bent on destroying the Coast’s natural appeal or a Prime Minister indifferent to the plight of the poor, Bill Hoffman has never been one to mince his words. Bill’s been a journalist for 32 years, 29 of those on the Coast. Love him or hate him, he'll get you blogging.

ANGRY health workers and community members have called on Health Minister Lawrence Springborg to give an immediate commitment that the operation of the Sunshine Coast University Hospital will not be privatised.

A rally of more than 70 people braved the threat of rain yesterday afternoon to protest the possibility that the hospital will become the first public health facility in the world of its scale to be run by a private business.

It was well short of the 1100 who marched with then Opposition member Jarrod Bleijie in 2009 calling on the then Labor Government to commit to the hospital's construction.

Opposition health spokeswoman Jo-Ann Miller said Coast residents had never voted for the LNP to Americanise the regional health system.

Describing Mr Springborg as the Minister for Cuts and Closures, she said he needed to come clean now and explain to the Coast community exactly what the government planned for the region.

Ms Miller said the move was not disclosed before the election and was not part of the Premier's contract with voters here.

"There are five Ministers from here in government,'' Ms Miller said.

"It is disgraceful that they sit at the Cabinet table and have allowed this to happen. They were silent then and they are silent now.''

The anti-privatisation campaigners have launched an e-petition to Parliament.

The rally drew support from the Queensland Nurses Union, the Together Union, United Voice and ALP members headed by Community Coalition chairman Bill Gissane, the Labor candidate for Fisher.

He said there was a broad sense of betrayal about a move that would affect every level of the community.

Mr Gissane urged Mr Springborg to live up to promises made to the Sunshine Coast community at the last election.

Mr Springborg said last week the State Government was keenly pursuing the outsourcing to the private sector of public health delivery through the new Sunshine Coast University Hospital.